Lampshade adapter



. 1954 w. N. DE sHl-:RBlNlN March 30 LAMPSHADE ADAPTER 2 sheets-sheet `1Filed March 16. 1950 Gtomeg March 30. 1954 w.N. DE SHERBININ 2,573,927

' LAMPSHADE ADAPTER Filed March 1e. 195o 2 sheets-shew 2 w74 e 22 2?--23 25 Z9 /l A l /7 33 Patented Mar. 30, 1954 UNITED STATESv PATENTOFFICE This invention relates to electric lighting fixtures and moreparticularly pertains to lamps of the type having a shade which isattached to and supported on the electric light bulb .of the lamp.

Heretofore, in lamps of the type referred to, the shade has beensupported on the bulb by an adapter which is assembled from a pluralityof separate pieces. For example, the bulb engaging portion would be inseveral pieces and the shade engaging parts would be separatelyproduced, and all the pieces would be secured together to form theadapter. This is time consuming, complicated and expensive.

The present invention overcomes these disadvantages and provides anadapter for securing a lamp shade to an electric light bulb which ismade in one piece and yet adequately performs all the functions of theprevious multi-piece type.

The invention will be understood from the following description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a partthereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an adapter embodying the invention,shown supporting a table type lamp shade on an electric lamp bulb;

Fig. 2 is another perspective view of the adapter, mounted on the bulbbut unattached.

to a lamp shade;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the adapter supporting abridge type lamp shade on an electric light bulb;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing another form of the adaptersupporting a plastic shade on an electric light bulb;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a further form of adapter embodying theinvention;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on line 6 6 of Fig. 5, and

Fig. '7 is a view in elevation, on an enlarged scale, showing the mannerin which the shade engaging portion of the form of the adapter shown inFigs. 5 and 6, is formed.

Like characters of reference designate the same or similar partsthroughout the several views.

Referring to Figs. l to 3 of the drawings, reference character I0designates an electric light bulb mounted in a socket I I which issecured to The adapter comprises a bulb engaging portion and a shadeengaging portion, which, in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3, specicallyengages the annulus I5. As shown, the adapter is made from a singlelength of wire of sufficient rigidity to retain its shape and ofsuicient resiliency to cause it to spring back into position when movedout of position. The bulb engaging portion consists of two loops I'I andI8 which engage opposite portions of the bulb Il! and which areconnected by a part of the wire I9 running across the top of the bulb.The outer end of the loop I'! continues upwardly at 20 to a point 2|approximately above the top of the bulb where it is bent at a sharpangle and extends upwardly and outwardly at 22 to the annulus engagingportion. In like manner, the outer end of the loop I8 continues upwardlyat 23 to a point 24 where it is bent at a sharp angle and extendsupwardly and outwardly at 25 to the annulus engaging portion. The parts22 and 25 are reversed with respect to each other as compared with theparts 20 and 23 with the result that the angles at the points 2| and 24engage each other and limit the movement apart of the two annulusengaging portions at the upper ends of the parts 22 and 25.

The annulus engaging portion on the part 22 comprises an extension ofthat part which is bent into the form of a rectangle 26 and then extendsupwardly at 2l and outwardly at 28. Similarly. the extension of part 25is bent into a rectangle 29 and then extends upwardly at 30 andoutwardly at 3|. The lower surface of the annulus I5 rests on therectangular portions 26 and 29, the upwardly extending portions 2l and3B engage the inner circumference of the annulus, and the outwardlyextending portions 28 and 3l assist in the action of gripping theannulus and prevent the accidental disengagement of the adapter.

To mount the shade I3 on the bulb I0, the loops I1 and I8 are spreadapart suiciently to permit the bulb to be inserted between them, bymoving the bulb upwardly toward the part I9 of the wire which runsacross the top of the bulb, or by moving the adapter downwardly on thebulb until part I9 is in contact with the top of the bulb. The annulusengaging portions are then moved toward each other until the upwardlyextending portions 28 and 3B can be inserted in the aperture of theannulus as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, after which the adapter is releasedand the portions 28 and 39 will spring apart and will engage the innerwall of the annulus and then the shade will be mounted on the bulb. Ifdesired, the adapter can be attached rst to the annulus I5 in the mannerdescribed, after which the adapter will be mounted on the bulb l asdescribed.

In Fig. 3, the shade I3 is attached by rods I6 to a bridge type xturewhich comprises an annulus 32 with the inner circumferential wallthreaded. The adapter is applied to this type of shade in the samemanner it is applied to the table type shade of Figs. 1 and 2.

In Fig. 4 the plastic shade 33 has an inwardly projecting flange 34 atits upper end which constitutes in effect an annulus similar to theannuli I5 and 32. The adapter is the same as the adapter shown in Figs.1 to 3 excepting that the parts 22 and 25 extend outwardly in`diametrically opposite ldirections as shown, which causes the top ofthe shade to be closer to the top of the bulb than in Figs. 1 to 3, andwith the further exception that the ends 28 and 3| of the Wire areapproximately parallel to the rectangular base lportions 26 and 29 andare spaced therefrom at a distance such that the flange 34 will t fairlysnugly but detachably into the spaces between them. The adapter is'applied to the shade and bulb in the manner previously described.

The adapter shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is like the adapters shown inFigs. 1 to 4, excepting for the annulus engaging portions which receivethe flange 35 of the plastic shade 36. As shown, the outer end portionsof the parts 22 and 25 are flattened, the intermediate part 3l' of theflattened portion is bent upon the inner flattened part 38, and theouter ilattened part 39 is reversely bent to provide with theV part 31 arecess 40 to receive snugly but detachably the ange 35 of the shade 36.The adapter is applied to the shade and bulbI in the manner previouslydescribed.

It will be understood that preferred forms of the invention have beenselected for illustration and description and changes can be ma'de inthe form of the several parts of the adapter disclosed without departingfrom the principles of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is notto be limited excepting by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An adapter made from wire for securing a lamp shade to an electriclight bulb comprising a spiral central portion, the spiral includingsubstantially two loops, the bulb being received between the loops, thespiral having end portions which extend tangentially from the spiral andtoward each other so as to cross one another, a bend in each end portionat the point of crossing, each bend partially encircling the other endportion, and shade engaging means carried at the free ends of said endportions.

2. rIlhe combination defined in claim 1 in which the shade engagingmeans comprises a portion of each free end bent back on itself and a,U-bend formed in the bent back portion.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 in which said shade engaging meanscomprises a rectangular loop formed in each of said free errds and aprojection normal to the plane of said rectangular loop formed by makinga right angle bend in the outer end of said Wire.

WILLIAM N. DE SHERBININ.

